Christmas Bird Count with the Caloosa Bird Club

Brrr....the prospect of walking through muddy and wet salt flats in 45 degrees was daunting to say the least - I put my big girl pants on and off I went. I was in good company with Charlie Ewell, Karl Werner, Susan Cohen and Libby Wolfe - all excellent birders and I've learned something from each one of them. Thank you!

Our first sought after specie was a success....

A Saltmarsh Sparrow, check! We ended up spending about 2 hours there and saw a total of 37 species (see my E-Bird List)

Off we went to the Causeway - looking for a Peregrine Falcon....

Check! We also scoped the area and were able to find Common Loons, Mergansers & Horned Grebes among 35 species (see my E-Bird List)

Next on our list of places to be was Bunche Beach - we spent 3 hours there - our first sighting a Ruddy Turnstone.

A very special sighting - one of many Marbled Godwit

Black Skimmers with the Causeway in the background - leading to Sanibel Island.

Piping Plovers wearing their bands and flags.

They were much faster than I and their numbers eluded me.

The Long-billed Curlew came to be counted too.

He surely sparkles.

A Wilson Plover enjoying a Mangrove Crab.

The amusement of the day was to watch these sandpipers eating from a bowl size cavity in a mound of sand as if someone had put food there for them.

Everyone is equal here and all are happy to be able to share a meal.... Sanderling, Least Sandpiper and Western Sandpipers.

Short-billed Dowitcher came to investigate and share the bounty.

A Great Blue Heron came to seal the day. Another list for this portion - 45 species in all (see my E-Bird List). A fantastic day was had by all, we put forth an effort and truly enjoyed the experience.

San-Cap Audubon Bird Trip - Ft.Myers Beach

Brrr....this morning when I woke up, the temps were in the 50's and I wondered if I would be comfortable birding....armed with this knowledge - I put on several layers, packed up my gear and headed out the door.

Thank goodness for a sunny day!

25 of us gathered up at the Santini Plaza in Ft.Myers Beach and headed unto Little Estero Lagoon to visit with our feathered friends.

Once we made our way across the street - one of our first sighting was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.

A Black-crowned Night Heron was spotted with our keen eyes.

Last summer I visited this area - and at that time it was filled with many nesting birds.....multiple signs are erected to remind folks that it is a protected area - to stay away - even dogs are not allowed.

Guess Who?

If you guessed "Palm Warbler" - then you win the prize. Here the chestnut cap is visible - and note how he pumps its tail....the tailtale of this specie.

A Peregrine Falcon has been known for hanging around the area - and sure enough....there he was.

Our group - can you tell that most of us are bundled up? Also, there wasn't too many folks other than us hard core birders.

A Reddish Egret - a Dark Morph with some white feathers....

Even a white belly.

getting ready to catch breakfast

Forster's Tern - a dark mask, orange legs and feet.....a fast little fellow - very fascinating to watch it as it feeds.

Heading into the sun toward the southern part of Fort Myers Beach.

A Willet.

Our group - some observing the sandpipers and plovers that were along the edges of the water - and others looking and picking shells. A lot of Sand Dollars, King Crowns and Starfishes could be found this morning.

Leave nothing but footprints behind :)

Look who I found around the bend....a Great Blue Heron sleeping.

It felt odd to be watching - like I was intruding in his private space.

I retreated and let him be.

This is how the colors are when they are intensified....just beautiful.

Anyone up for picking shells?

Or building sand castles decorated with daisies?  Well, a beautiful day that turned out to be - made it back to my vehicle and removed a few layers....the sun is shining and warming things up...yeah!

My E-Bird List for today http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16414326

33 Species - not bad for a quiet day.
BTW - The Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society has a bird walk every Saturday at 8:00a.m. - locally, through mid April. Suggested Donation $2.00/person. Open to all levels of experience, from novice to expert. For information on upcoming bird trips - check their website http://www.san-capaudubon.org

Caloosa Bird Club

Yeah for November and for all the activities that starts to take place in Florida! One of those very highly anticipated event for me was joining the local bird club that I've heard so much about from my Ding Darling friends. This Sunday was the first business/potluck lunch that I attended and there I got to meet many new friendly faces and tasted some incredible dishes - a great meeting indeed. I got quite a bit of information as well as a list of the upcoming bird trips - which takes place every Monday, yesterday was my very first one.

We all met at Barron Park in LaBelle and from there a few folks (22) carpooled across Hendry County. LOL I had no idea what I was in for that day - as I drove my car over 200 miles. I have to say that we travelled on roads that were the less travelled ones with wide vistas across fields, which happens to be my very favorites ones. We all followed one another and pulled off the side of the road to see what the leader was spotting. With binoculars, scopes and cameras on hand - we all gathered up along the edge of the roads and let our eyes feast in the vista and the birds/ducks/hawks that were hundreds of feet away. All in all, the group saw a total of 84 species - if my memory serves me right - and the bird of the day was the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

The weather was continually changing from sun to clouds, to sun to rain etc etc.....it got warmer as the day went on and the layers started to come off. I took several photos and I'm sharing a few here today - I have a lot of wishes here....such as: I wish that I was closer to the species, I wish there was better lighting for the subjects etc etc .... but either way, the memory will live on.

I was happy to be able to capture the Red-headed Woodpecker - in this pic I can actually tell what kind of bird I am looking at.

The Night Herons were numerous and this juvenile posed long enough for the whole group to see.

I never tire to see the Sandhill Cranes, just beautiful.

Here is a pair of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck with a duckling to its right - they kept raising and lowering their heads, sort of like playing a peek-a-boo games.....we were all entertained.

These are the Greater Yellowlegs and the way to notice the difference between a Lesser and a Greater Yellowleg is the slight upturn at the end of the bill.

Also, even though we were quite a bit of a distance away, we were able to witness how they were feeding while seemingly swimming at a fast rate - back and forth - right to left to right again.

The cattle seemed to be interested in what we were doing, as I watched them I could see them all turning around to face our direction - I'm not sure who was more entertained....me or them.

The common vista as we drove across Hendry County.....I bet you didn't know we are in Florida.

The Peregrine Falcon - several were seen during the duration of our trip.

more cattle

Western Kingbird gave the group a show as it flew around catching flies and resting on the top of the twigs in between juicy bites.

Tree Swallows - playing clothes pins on the wire.

Sweet setting, wouldn't you say?

Yoga moves

And the Stork coming for a landing.
All in all, it was a great adventure day. I look forward to attend many more trips with the Caloosa Bird Club - if they'll have me.
I'm including my E-Bird List - some of the group's sighting is not in this list because I didn't actually see them myself.....but either way, it's a pretty great list if I must say so myself.